Andrew Bolt has for a long time been George Pell’s staunchest supporter, among a large group of acolytes in the media ranks. But his decision to back the cardinal after he was convicted of child sexual abuse this week has cost his employer dearly, both in ad dollars and reputation.

When Bolt announced he would be talking about his serious misgivings about the guilty verdict on The Bolt Report on Tuesday night, Sky News Australia took the unprecedented step of stripping all advertising from the show.

Advertisers on the Bolt Report in the days leading up to Tuesday were Ford, Coles, Audi, Ikea, Jenny Craig, Coca-Cola, Budget Rent a Car, Audi and dozens more. Many of them had already been targeted by social media activist group Sleeping Giants Oz for appearing on Sky After Dark programs in general and Bolt in particular. Some advertisers, such as pool company Poolwerx and builders Hotondo Homes, responded to the activism by removing their ads from the after-6pm lineup on the pay TV channel.